Fabric strip support disposed across the stem portion of a presser foot



y 1963 D. WISE 3,096,735

FABRIC STRIP SUPPORT DISPOSED ACROSS THE STEM PORTION OF A PRESSER FOOT Filed Aug. 10, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. .Dfl/V/EL W/SE ,4 TTOQ/VEY July 9, 1963 Filed Aug. 10, 1960 D. WISE FABRIC STRIP SUPPORT DISPOSED ACROSS THE STEM PORTION OF A PRESSER FOOT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JflAl/EL WISE ATTORNEY July 9, 1963 D. WISE 3,096,735 FABRIC STRIP SUPPORT DISPOSEZD ACROSS THE STEM PORTION OF A PRESSER FOOT Filed Aug. 10, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VENTOR. .D/IN/ WISE ATTORNEY are This invention relates to a fabric joining apparatus which has particular application for use in the production of bound seams for underwear or similar garments.

The instant invention is an improved version of the apparatus shown in my issued United States Patent 2,840,020 so that a simpler, more positive and toolproof device is now produced.

The apparatus of this invention is designed to carry out the method described in my co-pending application Serial Number 674,003, filed July 19, 1957, now abanboned, which application was in turn a divisional application of Serial Number 613,111, filed October 1, 1956, now Patent No. 2,840,020.

In the manufacture of underwear or similar garments it is necessary in a number of places in the garment to join a pair of fabric members to one another by disposing a strip of binding material across the pair of fabric members. This binding material is preferably in the form of a doubled strip. Preferably the doubled strip is provided with downwardly folded edges which are adjacent the fabric members when said members are joined to one another.

Since labor costs in the clothing industry have constantly risen the instant invention permits the joining of a pair of fabric members and a binding strip to one another in a single operation. The fabric members joined are each disposed beneath a toe portion of the presser foot of the device, a strip of binding material is guided on the presser foot and brought into position across the pair of fabric members to be joined, and the parts are then sewn together by the needles of the sewing machine.

The time required by this operation is considerably less than that required by conventional apparatus, thereby substantially reducing the time of production and the cost of the garment.

The instant invention comprises improvements to a presser foot for a sewing machine involving certain constructions thereof. The presser foot has a stern portion and a base portion. A fabric strip support member is disposed across the stem portion while the base portion of the presser foot is provided with a first opening adapted to accommodate a needle of a sewing machine and a second opening adapted to accommodate a fabric strip. The base portion of the presser foot is also formed with a bifurcated toe portion having a springy lower face.

In the preferred modification of the presser foot employed the fabric strip support member has a guide portion thereupon.

Trimmer blades may also be employed, in operative relationship with the presser foot, so as to remove any projecting threads prior to the fabric members being joined to one another.

The complete apparatus utilizing this invention, which includes the presser foot described above, also comprises a sewing machine having a supporting frame, a plurality of parallel vertical movable needles, a strip folding de- 3,096,735 Patented July 9, 1963 mer blades in phantom lines and also showing the posi-' tion of the fabric members to be joined beneath the toe portions of the presser foot.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the presser foot shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the presser foot shown in FIG. 1 but also including the needle of the sewing machine and the strip folding device, and having the trimmer blades removed from the presser foot, so as to show the operation of the parts.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the presser foot shown in FIG. 1 but having the spring members removed from the lower faces of the toe portions thereof and with the trimmer blades not shown for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of fabric members and a strip of binding material disposed and secured across the pair of fabric members.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the machine and associated parts of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative form of presser foot that may be employed with the movement of the trimmer blades shown in phantom lines, showing a different method of securing the fabric strip support member to the stem portion of the presser foot.

FIG. 8 is a sectional View of the form of presser foot shown in FIG. 7 taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the form of presser foot and associated parts shown in FIG. 6 taken along lines 99 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a detail perspective view of the folder of this invention.

FIG. 11 is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged" scale, of the form of fabric strip support member shown in FIG. 1 with adjacent structure of the presser foot also shown.

FIG. 12 is a detail sectional view taken along lines 1212 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the form of fabric strip support member shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 14 is a detail sectional view taken along lines 14-14 of FIG. 13.

The specific modifications of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings which represent the best mode known to the inventor of carrying out the instant invention will now be described in detail. The reader must understand, however, that the specific modifications of the instant invention set forth in the accompanying drawings and described herein are for illustrative purposes and for purposes of example only. Various changes and modifications may obviously be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

The presser foot construction of this invention is' 3 shown-i11 two modifications, that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and-4 and-'that-shown--in-FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. These modifications differ only in the construction of the fabric strip support member.

Referring first to the presser foot construction shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the presser foot 11 is formed with a stem portion 12 and a base portion 13. Stem portion 12 is formed with a pair of opposite spaced sides 12a and 12b. Stern portion 12 is provided with an opening 14 therewithin which is adapted to accommodate the presser foot control arm Shof the sewing machine to which the device is secured.

Base portion 13 of presser foot 11' is formed with. a heel'portion' 1 "and a bifurcated toe portion consisting of elements 16.

Heel portion 15 of base portion 13 is formed with air opening 17 and an additional opening 18 forward of opening 17. The word forward as used in this connection is the direction wherein the heel portion 15 of the presser'foot is considered to be rearward and the toe portion 16 forward.

Opening, 17 is adapted to accommodate the needles 1821-of the sewing machine to which the presser foot may be-securedand opening 18 is designed to accommodate a fabric strip 19'(preferably folded).

Base portion 13 of presser foot 11 is also formed with openings 21 and 22. Opening 21 is adapted to accommodate fixed trimmer blade 23 and opening 22 adapted to accommodate reciprocally movable trimmer blade 24.

Each of toe portions 16 also bears a springable shoe 25 which is secured to the bifurcated portions of toe portion 16-by screws 26 as well as to the heel portion 15 of presser foot 11 by overturned portions 27.

Fabric strip support member 28 is disposed across stem-portion 12 of'presser foot 11 and is secured by screw 29' located within projecting portion 30 extending from side 12byof stem portion 12 and by recess 31 within side 12a ofstem portion 12 through which a portion of fabric strip support member 28 extends. Member 28 is also preferably offset at 32a and formed with a prong at oneofits terminal portions.

Fabric strip support member 28 is also provided with a; cut-out holding portion 32 thereupon to hold the fabric strip in place thereupon.

The presserfoot construction shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 is identical to the presser foot construction shown in FIGS. 1,2, 3 and 4, which has been just described, with the exception of the fabric strip support member. In the alternative construction shown in such FIGS. 7, 8 and 9- fabric strip support member 28a is secured to projecting portion 30' of presser foot '11 by screw 29a which is located on the forward face of projecting portion 30. -Recess 3 1a within stem portion 11 also carries a projecting prong 40 therewithin.

The presser foot construction, shown is utilized in the instant invention by attaching it to a sewing machine as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 of the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 6 the presser foot 11 is secured to the presser foot control arm of the sewing machine 35 which is formed. with'a supporting frame 36, amain shaft 37'and a drive pulley 38. Drive pulley 38 drives shaft 37 which in turn drives the needle bar 39 of the sewing machine and. the conventional feed dogs beneath the base portion 13 of presser foot '11.

Supportingframe- 36 bears projecting pin 41 to which roll 42 is secured. Roll 42 bears fabric strip 19 which is adapted to pass through folder 44 which is secured to supportingframe 35 by holding portions 46.

With the foregoing construction the operation of the instant invention may now be explained.

Presser'foot 11 is placed in position upon sewing machine 35and israised above the feed dogs therebetween by the presser foot control arm.

A pair of fabric members 52 and 53 are placed beneath the bifurcatedtoe portions '16 of presser foot 11 in edge to edge relationship and in juxtaposition with the feed dogs (not shown) beneath presser foot 11.

Presser foot 11 is thereafter lowered in contact with fabric members 52 and 53 and sewing machine 35 operated. The portion of the sewing machine causes fabric strip 19 to be pulled along fabric members 52 and 53 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6. At the same time movable trimmer blade 24 is operated and trims the projecting threads 54 shown in FIG. 1 from the fabric members 52 and 53 as said members pass across trimmer blades 23 and 24.

Needles 18a also operate and sew fabric strip 19, which preferably is folded by folder 4 ,4 across fabric members 52 and 53, and secure the parts to one another by stitching 53.

Fabric strip 19 is guided into proper position by lying along fabric support member 2 8 or 2811, thence passing through recess 13 and thence passing below base portion 13 of presser foot 11.

With the foregoing description the reader can see how the various objects of the instant invention are achieved.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be new is:

1. In a presser foot for a sewing machine having a stern portion formed with opposite spaced sides thereof and a base portion, the base portion having a bifurcated toe portion formed with a springy lower face and also provided with a first opening adapted to accommodate a needle of a sewing machine and a second opening adapted to accommodate a fabric strip, the improvement which comprises a projection carried by one side of the stem portion of said presser foot and a hole provided upon the opposite side thereof, a fabric strip support member having an offset portion and a terminal prong disposed across said stern portion, said prong normally disposed within said hole, and means for removably securing the opposite terminal portion of said fabric strip support member to said projection.

2. In a presser foot for a sewing machine having a stern portion formed with opposite spaced sides thereof and a base portion, the base portion having a bifurcated toe portion formed with a springy lower face and also provided with a first opening adapted to accommodate a needle of a sewing machine and a second opening spaced therefrom adapted to accommodate a fabric strip, the improvement which comprises a projection having a front face thereupon carried by one side of the stern portion of said presser foot, a hole provided upon the opposite side of said stem portion; a fabric strip support member having an offset portion and av terminal prong disposed across said stem portion, said prong normally disposed Within said hole, said fabric strip support member having an intermediate cut-out fabric guide portion thereupon and a fiat opposite terminal portion normally lying along the front face of said projection, and fastening means securing said opposite terminal portion to said projection.

3. In a presser foot for a sewing machine having a stern portion formed with opposite spaced sides thereof and a base portion, the base portion having a bifurcated toe portion formed with a springy lower face and also provided with a first opening adapted to accommodate a needle of a sewing machine and a second opening adapted to accommodate a fabric strip, the improvement which comprises a forwardly extending projection having a top face and a pair of opposite side faces carried by one side of the stem portion of said presser foot, a hole provided upon the opposite side of said stem portion, said projection being also provided with an additional opening extending therethrough and between said side faces with a first opening, and a second threaded opening extending downwardly from the top face thereof and joining said first opening; a screw disposed within said second opening and projecting downwardly therethrough, a fabric strip support member having an offset portion and a terminal prong disposed across said stem portion, said 5 fabric strip support member also having an intermediate cut-out fabric guide portion thereupon and a substantially circular opposite end portion, said prong normally disposed within said hole and said opposite end portion normally disposed within the first opening within said projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Symington et a1 June 21, 1892 Berger Aug. 22, 1916 Christensen et a1 Mar. 27, 1934 Ackerman et a1. Jan. 8, 1935 Knaus et a1 Aug. 18, 1953 Wise June 24, 1958 Charest Dec. 8, 1959 

1. IN A PRESSER FOOT FOR A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A STEM PORTION FORMED WITH OPPOSITE SPACED SIDES THEREOF AND A BASE PORTION, THE BASE PORTION HAVING A BIFURCATED TOE PORTION FORMED WITH A SPRINGY LOWER FACE AND ALSO PROVIDED WITH A FIRST OPENING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A NEEDLE OF A SEWING MACHINE AND A SECOND OPENING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A FABRIC STRIP, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PROJECTION CARRIED BY ONE SIDE OF THE STEM PORTION OF SAID PRESSER FOOT AND A HOLE PROVIDED UPON THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF, A FABRIC STRIP SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING AN OFFSET PORTION AND A TERMINAL PRONG DISPOSED ACROSS SAID STEM PORTION, SAID PRONG NORMALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOLE, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING THE OPPOSITE TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID FABRIC STRIP SUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID PROJECTION. 